Saturday, May 16, 2015

The Blondes by Emily Schultz

To
have a strain of disease that rocks the globe is always the stuff of
horrors, the possibility of the beginning of the end for civilization.
Yet each beginning of such illness seems to create a frenzy of those who
search deep and find a solution thereby relegating the apocalypse to
the background of thoughts one more time.

In The Blondes by
Emily Schultz, we are introduced to a funny ‘tongue in cheek’ type of
apocalyptic future where one after another horror and death or deaths
are caused by blonde women throughout the world. Trying to stem the tide
of killings, the research shows the only connection to be the color of
the women’s hair. That the women generally die closely thereafter the
episode makes for difficulty in finding the cause. The illness does not
seem to differentiate between false blondes or the real thing, it also
reaches out to light reds and highlights. Marshal Law is imposed and
women rounded up and placed in camps for verification the disease is not
just dormant and ready to come to the surface and create more horror.
Each is tested and held, as the world turns crazy.

Hazel Hayes
becomes the voice of the information, narrating though this crazy
psychological conundrum as she tries to decipher if the disease will
attack her as well. As the narrative moves further into a strange
twisting tale of an epidemic causing women to go to great lengths to
conceal their hair, even she is looking at making the change. As stores
sell out all the darkest colors, pandemonium erupts, causing even more
disaster.

As Hazel finds herself on the run, we find she is
pregnant through one of her professors in college; she has very light
red hair and is being hunted even as she updates the information. Her
life is a bit like those around her but her pregnancy creates a strong
sustainability for her, as most are not as afraid of her and are willing
to help. While the pregnancy is unwanted, due to the circumstances she
is hiding out herself and unwilling to seek an abortion. Yet when she
goes in search of her baby’s father, she finds only his wife. Together
through mutual dislike they form a bond over the child, moving away and
in together for there is a small amount of safety in numbers. What will
happen to them as the world begins persecuting blondes and blonde
derivatives?

If you enjoy horror and mystery this is an
interesting look at how beauty kills. If you enjoy humor you will find
yourself at times incredulous at the depths the women will go, and all
the way through you will find a story of hope and friendship, but also
brutality and abuse.

This would be a fun work for a reading and
discussion group. There are pockets of horror and humor that compete
evenly or possibly not. Only you can decide.